westchase - vol. 3, issue 3, march 2014

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 16,000 Homes In Westchase & Surrounding Areas

This Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To:Arlington Park • Aston Villas • Bay Arbor • Berkeley Square • Calf Path Estates • Enclave At Citrus Park • Fawn Ridge

Fawn Lake • Forest Lakes • Hampton Lakes • Highland Park • Lake Chase • Mandolin • The Eagles • Tree TopsTwin Branch Acres • Waterchase • West Hampton • Westchase • Westchester • Westwood Lakes • Windsor Place

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ECRWSSPostal Customer

Dated MaterialPlease Rush!

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTAMPA FL

PERMIT 1185

Relay For Life.......................3

Community Calendar............4

Community News Briefs..........5

Done Rite Roofing................8-9

Greek City Café................10-11

Southeastern Guide Dogs’Walkathon...........................13

Equestrian Inc. Horse Rescueof Tampa Bay.................14-15

Vol. 3, Issue 3, March 2014

Neighborhood NewsNeighborhood News®

W E S T C H A S E A R E A

& LifestylesYour neighborhood. Your magazine.

By Marcy Sanford

No need to go searching for lep-rechauns or pots of gold this SaintPatrick’s Day, Westchase has its ownone hundred percent Irish native tobring you lots of luck in your homebuying or selling quest. RE/MAX Ac-tion First Agent Warren Ring lovesseeing smiles on his clients’ faces.Whether it’s because they’ve justfound the perfect new home or soldtheir current home, the satisfaction ofhis clients is his number one priority.“It is a privilege to work with peopleand to help them get what they want,”says Warren. “Many people have the

RE/MAX Agent Warren Ring AlwaysHas His Clients’ Best Interest in Mind!

See “Simply Art” on page 18.

See “Warren Ring” on page 20.

By Katie Thomas

Art is made simple and fun foryour enjoyment at Simply Art Studiosin Oldsmar, conveniently located nearEast Lake on Tampa Road. Choose aclass that focuses on creating beautifulpaintings, unique jewelry pieces orfresh floral arrangements for a greatnight of artistic crafting!

At Simply Art Studios, guests areencouraged to enjoy themselves andunlock their individual creative energieswith guided step-by-step instruction bythe friendly and talented staff. All youreally need to bring is your creativespirit – the rest is simple! Oh, and feelfree to bring your favorite snack oradult beverage, if you need a little boostto get your creative juices flowing!

A vibrant mother and daughter

duo, Mary and Hannah, opened Sim-ply Art Studios in January 2013. Thepair has a passionate love for the artsand wanted to open a place thatwould be both welcoming and fun forthe local community – a place to sharein fun, artistic adventures!

Simply Art Studios is unique inthat it is a local start-up business andpromotes the work of local artists inthe area. Each painting that is createdfor in-class tutorials features the cre-ative work of a local artist. Hannahand Mary love that since Simply Art isan independently owned and operatedstudio, they have the ability to repre-sent the artwork of locals that theychoose themselves.

“Each month we have a collabo-rative meeting for what we would like

Simply Art Studios“The Best Art Party in Tampa Bay!”

2 MARCH 2014 Westchase Area Neighborhood NewsFor Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.com

MARCH 2014 3Westchase Area Neighborhood News For Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.com

Neighborhood News& Lifestyles

Directly mailed once a month to 16,000households in zip codes 33626 & 34677

220 Safford Ave. S. Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

Phone: (813) 928-6124; Fax: (727) 942-2432Advertising E-mail:

[email protected] E-mail:

[email protected]© 2014 Westchase Neighborhood News is published by ADS 2 Publications, Inc.

Nothing that appears in Westchase NeighborhoodNews may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, with-out permission. Opinions expressed by Westchase Neighbor-hood News writers are their own and do not reflect thepublisher’s opinion.

The management of Westchase Neighborhood Newsis always happy to accept outside editorial submissionsto the paper. Please call for outside editorial submissionand advertisement deadlines.

Westchase Neighborhood News will consider previ-ously non-published outside editorial submissions if theyare double spaced, typed and less than 500 words.Westchase Neighborhood News reserves the right to editand/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makesno guarantees regarding publication dates. Westchase Neigh-borhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials.

Westchase Neighborhood News reserves the right toedit and/or reject any advertising. Westchase NeighborhoodNews is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond theactual cost of the advertising space itself, not for the validityof any claims made by its advertisers.

Westchase Neighborhood News & Lifestyles is pub-lished by ADS 2 Publications, Inc.

PublisherTim SelbyGeneral ManagerMatt Selby Advertising SalesJim O’ReillyLinda ViegaMike BirdAccounting ManagerDoreen SelbyBilling AssistantTina O’ReillyMarketing & DevelopmentAshley Knoblach

EditorAlexis SelbyCorrespondentsKim ThomasJulie KanehlKatie ThomasMarcy SanfordLenay RuhlDara TuckerErin AldrichArt DirectorTony SicaGraphic ArtistDat X. Do

By Jordyn Clark & Tracy Urso

The American Cancer Society’sRelay For Life of Westchase gets under-way with teams of residents gathering atAlonso High School on May 17 at 2p.m. With the help of the wonderfulplanning committee, led by Tracy Ursoand Bruce Simpson, the WestchaseRelay For Life is sure to be a wonderfulsuccess.

Relay For Life events are heldovernight as individuals and teamscamp out on Alonso’s field with thegoal of keeping at least one team mem-ber on the track or pathway at all times.Teams do most of their fundraisingprior to the event, but some teams alsohold creative fundraisers at their Relaycamp sites.

Relay brings together friends, fami-lies, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups − people from all walks oflife – to further the American CancerSociety’s mission to save lives and createa world with less cancer and more

birthdays.“Relay For Life is a unique

opportunity for our communityto come together to celebratepeople who have battled cancer,remember those we’ve lost, andfight back against the disease,”says Kendra Drake, Relay For Lifeof Westchase Co-chair 2013.“Many of the participants are can-cer survivors, which serves as a re-minder that the Westchasecommunity is not immune to thisdisease.”

In 2013, Relay For Lifeevents across Florida raised almost $20million to help cancer patients and fundlifesaving cancer research. The RelayFor Life of Westchase raised an as-tounding $109,000 to help the Ameri-can Cancer Society.

To become involved with theRelay, you can form a team, join theplanning committee or be a spectator.To form your team, go to www.relay-forlife.org/westchasefl; to join the com-

mittee, contact Jordyn Clark [email protected] or call (813)319-5916.

The relay welcomes everyone whowishes to join them in the fight againstcancer! Please join the committee fortheir upcoming fundraiser and meetingon April 13 for their Westchase Com-munity Egg Hunt.

Coming Together Once Again toFight Cancer Through Relay For Life

See “Relay” on page 22.


Community Calendar11th annual Tour de Village2014 5K Run and 1 MileFun Walk

Carrollwood Village Phase I, II &III Homeowners Associations invitesyou to join your friends and commu-nity at Tour de Village 2014.

Run or walk over the greens,through the woods and around largeponds, crossing through CarrollwoodVillage. The 5K Run is chip-timed andboth distances are entirely on grass.Official 5K race results will be postedat www.coolrunning.com andwww.bigdawgrunnin.com.

The event will be held on Satur-day, March 15 at the Carrollwood Vil-lage Millennium Garden, located at4535 West Village Drive in Tampa.The 5K run will start at 8:30 a.m., andthe 1 Mile Fun Walk will start at 9:30a.m. A portion of the event proceedswill benefit Friends of HillsboroughCounty Animal Services.

Race RegistrationDownload your entry form under

Events at www.carrollwoodvillage.comand mail it in with the appropriate reg-istration fee by March 7th. Entryforms are also available at The UPSStore at 13014 North Dale Mabry,SW corner of Fletcher/N Dale Mabry,and many other local shops and gyms.Call for locations.

AwardsIn the 5K, trophies are given to

the overall male and female winnerand custom medals three deep in agegroups from 10 & under to 70 &over. The top ten 1 Mile walkers re-ceive a medal.

Goodies & RaffleThe first 200 registered partici-

pants receive a race t-shirt and goodiebag. Complimentary bottled water,fruit, and a variety of snacks for every-body. After the awards ceremony stayfor the great door prize raffle. All reg-istered runners are eligible to win.

Volunteers NeededTo volunteer for various duties

before and during and the event,please pre-register at www.carroll-woodvillage.com (Volunteering),email volunteer coordinator Gayle Hillat [email protected] , orcall 813/892-2545. All volunteers re-ceive refreshments and a Tour de Vil-lage 2014 t-shirt. Adults and Teensneeded.Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorships range from a $300Tour Sponsorship with valuable bene-fits for your business, to goodie andraffle item donations for the runners.Sponsors are also invited to come on-site and personally give away promo-tional items, product samples andbrochures, etc. to spectators and run-ners. For details, see the sponsor op-portunities form posted under Eventsat www.carrollwoodvillage.com.

Spectators WelcomeJoin the cheering section at the

course, visit the event sponsors onsiteand grab some of their free give-aways, as Carrollwood Village HomeOwners Association launches their11th annual Tour de Village. Friendsof Hillsborough County AnimalServices volunteers will bring animalsavailable for adoption! Plan to arrivein time for the 5K start at 8:30 a.m.and stay for the awards ceremonyaround 10:00 a.m.

For more information pleasevisit www.carrollwoodvillage.com

or contact event manager MariaHochwarth-Alvarez at (813) 842-7066 or email [email protected].

Monthly Multiple SclerosisSupport Group at LakeMagdalene UnitedMethodist Church

The next monthly Multiple Scle-rosis Support Group will meet at Lake

Magdalene United Methodist Church,located at 2902 W. Fletcher Ave. inTampa, on March 4th at 7 p.m. Themeeting will host speaker Darla Freed-man-Levay from USF, who will be ad-dressing issues of cognitive problemsand techniques to better improvememory issues.

For more information pleasecontact Rita Schallenberger at(813) 961-5510.


Community News BriefsBrass Tap Expanding toWestchase Area

Brass Tap is proud to announceits’ newest expansion to theWestchase area. The new Brass Tap,which is set to open sometime to-wards the end of March, early April,will be a great addition to the localcommunity and will be located at4011 Tampa Road in Oldsmar. BarHours will be 12 p.m. - 2 a.m. Formore information on this newest ex-pansion please contact Erin Sheerin,Marketing Manager, at (631) 560-9624 or (727) 474-3720 or by emailat [email protected].

About Brass TapKnown around Tampa as the

“Premium Beer Bar”, Brass Tap is aunique bar that features beer from allregions around the world – from Bel-gium to Ireland, to our very ownTampa Bay! With with over 300 craftbeers from breweries worldwide, BrassTap is a beer-lovers dream! In additionto their beer, live music and entertain-ment is a huge part of The Brass Tapexperience. At Brass Tap, they strive to

create a unique and friendly atmos-phere and their daily entertainment iscarefully selected to fit this niche.

Carrollwood Cultural CenterHiring Teachers and CampInstructors

The Carrollwood Cultural Cen-ter, located at 4537 Lowell Road inTampa, is hiring teachers and camp in-structors. The arts-based nonprofit or-ganization currently offersapproximately 60 classes during anygiven time, ranging from art toZumba®, and would like to doublethat number by the end of the year.

The Center is equipped with stu-dio space for art (painting, drawing,etc.), ceramics, computer-based pro-grams, dance, piano and theatre, inaddition to several multi-purposerooms for other classroom-orientated

courses like foreign language and cre-ative writing.

Each year, the Center introducesnew classes contingent upon who isavailable to teach. Several classes havebeen part of the curriculum since2008.

“We want to build our faculty sowe can offer more options to our stu-dents,” said education outreach direc-tor Helen Michaelson. “Several of ourclasses consistently sell out, so to beable to increase the days and times aclass is offered will provide a wonder-ful service to the public. In addition,we are always getting requests fromthe public to grow our curriculum. ”

Students submit requests for any-thing from acrylic painting to Spanish.Dance, piano, watercolor painting anddrawing are also popular.

“Often, an instructor will ap-proach us with a subject they are qual-ified to teach,” said Michaleson.“Sometimes we will try the class andcome to find people really gravitate to-ward it. Several of our more popularclasses started that way.”

While the majority of the classescurrently offered target adults, theCenter has a need to increase thenumber of classes offered to toddlers,

elementary school children, tweensand teenagers.

“We have some classes for chil-dren, but we can certainly offermore,” Michaelson said. “We need in-structors who are available in theevenings and Saturdays and know howto work with children.”

In addition, the Center is alsosearching to qualified instructors tohelp with the Summer Camp pro-gram. The camp program, much likethe classes, is also arts-based with aneducational component. Camp willrun for nine weeks starting June 9 andconcluding August 15; however, indi-vidual instructors are not required tobe available for the entire summer.(The Center will not offer camp June30 through July 4.)

Michaelson is looking for peoplewho are experts in their particular sub-ject with a proven ability to instruct.Interested camp instructors shouldapply as soon as possible to be consid-ered. Interested teachers who want toteach throughout the year can applyany time.

For more information, please callHelen Michaelson at (813) 269-1310or email a cover letter and resume [email protected].


By Katie Thomas

A solid foundation and a sturdyroof over our head is impertinent toour safety and wellbeing. When thetime comes for your home to bereroofed or it is in need of a roof repair,you need to hire a reputable, licensedroofing contractor who provides fast,and reliable, affordable service, andmost importantly, you need a roofingcompany that will do the job right!Done Rite Roofing, Inc., located inOzona, is a family owned and operatedroofing company that has been servingPinellas, Pasco and HillsboroughCounties for over 17 years.

Jason and Christina Loiacano arethe owners of Done Rite Roofing andthey have worked diligently to build areputation that is as solid and strong asthe roofs they build and guarantee.They never use subcontractors and withDone Rite, you are always workingwith an owner. Jason and Christinamake sure to fulfill their goals in beinga part of your community and are ac-tive within the local schools, SPCA,sports leagues and other communityorganizations. Last year Done RiteRoofing paired up with Habitat for

Humanity for Pasco, generously donat-ing their labor and expertise to a familyin need.

Done Rite Roofing has doneroofing work for municipality build-ings in the Cities of Dunedin andOldsmar and is a chosen installer forHome Depot’s roofs. “Over theyears, we’ve done all the Humane So-ciety of Pinellas’ (HSP) and theSPCA’s roofing work and have do-nated materials, giving them a greatlydiscounted price,” says Jason.

Jason and Christina are originallyfrom Buffalo, NY, and these two highschool sweethearts have spent the past21 years working to build a life to-gether and a business. Jason workedfor a family owned roofing company inBuffalo as a minimum wage laborer,where he worked his way up to fore-man. As a teenager, he came toFlorida on a fishing vacation with hisdad and knew it was where he wantedto be. Christina shares their journey,“Jason had to wait for me to finish col-lege before we could move to Floridaand start our journey as business own-ers.” Jason and Christina have twosons, ages 22 and 9, and they expectfrom their boys the same work ethic

that they have themselves. “Nothingis handed down to our children; myson had to purchase his own first vehi-cle, he must work for what he has. Wewere both teenage parents, completedhigh school and two years of collegewith no help but each other and wehave built our company (my brothercalls it our empire) by ourselves withour own ideas, money and blood-

shed.” Christina also says, “There areno slackers around here. Jason is adedicated, disciplined, hard-workingperson and our company definitely re-flects those qualities.”

Done Rite! Every time!Serving both residential and com-

mercial customers, Done Rite Roofingspecializes in new construction and

Need a New Roof or Roof Repair? Get it DONE RITE


reroofing of all types of roofs includingshingled, flat, metal and tile. Thecompany also installs roof vents andinstalls and repairs skylights. “We areone of only two authorized Velux Sky-light installers in Pinellas,” says Jason.If you need a roof inspection or FHAinspection, Done Rite is on the job!And, if you are concerned that yourroof may be reaching the end of its lifeand want to make sure that your shel-ter will stand up to the weather, DoneRite offers free roof evaluation.

Done Rite offers 24-hour emer-gency repairs with a guaranteed rapidresponse, because they understand

that a leaking roofis no joke andtruly is an emer-gency situation.

As membersof the BetterBusiness Bureau(BBB) and theFlorida Roofing,Sheet Metal andAir ConditioningContractors Asso-ciation (FRSA),Done Rite strivesto exceed the re-quirements thatroofing contrac-tors must meet.

The company is GAF Certified and isan Owens-Corning Preferred Contrac-tor.

Jason and Christina expect a lotfrom their employees, and the mutual re-spect between employer and employee atDone Rite has resulted in a crew that istalented and dedicated. “Most of ouremployees have been with us for over tenyears,” says Jason. Christina adds,“Their loyalty is like no other.”

“Our tile crews have all been certi-fied with the Roof Tile Institute andcurrently Done Rite Roofing is the onlycompany in Pinellas County with that

certification, which is the highest certifi-cation in tile roofing,” explains Jason.

In Florida, building codes changeevery few years and Done Rite and itsemployees are on top of every newchange. “Our installers are sent totraining seminars to get all of the latesttechniques and be up on all currentcodes,” says Jason. “Our shingling di-vision is in the top 1% in the roofingprofession because our installers havetheir ShingleMaster certification. A se-lect ShingleMaster is in the top 1% ofhis profession and to qualify the in-stallers take written and onsite testsevery year.”

Done Rite Roofing recently be-came involved in blowing and attic in-stallation, which reduces energy costsup to 30% and once performed, canallow homeowners a tax credit.

Done Rite is currently offering5% off any new roof (with a max dis-count of $300) so look for their ad inthis issue to take advantage of thisgreat offer!

Done Rite is a Red-Shield installerfrom Firestone Building Products;Jason explains that means he can offer20-year non-prorated material, laborand workmanship warranties on Fire-stone roofing systems.

Done Rite Roofing has launched

the most comprehensive, detailed war-ranty available in the roofing industrytoday. Together with manufacturers,they are able to offer customers good,better and best warranty options andthe peace-of-mind of knowing thattheir warranty is completely transfer-able to the new owner of their home ifthey decide to sell. Done Rite hasyour back, guaranteed!

No matter how big or small yourproject is, Done Rite Roofing cantackle the job and do it RITE! “We’vedone whole subdivisions and haveworked with many property manage-ment associations,” says Jason. “Wecan do work as minimal as adding anew skylight to roofing a commercialshopping plaza.”

Done Rite is constantly updatingpromotions and specials on their web-site, Facebook and twitter account.Make sure you check them out to en-sure that you’re aware of new and up-coming deals!

Done Rite Roofing can bereached at (727) 771-8747 or visitwww.DoneRiteRoofinginc.com foradditional information and testimo-nials. You can follow them onFacebook. Hours are 9 a.m. – 4p.m., Mon. – Fri.

Done Rite Roofing does residential and commercial workon all types of roofs.


By Marcy Sanford

Spring is here and Greek CityCafé in the West Park Village TownCenter has the best patio and thefreshest, tastiest Greek food in town.Owner Nicholas Pappas features someof his family’s fabulous recipes on themenu and has come up with some in-ventive and delicious twists of his own.This fast casual restaurant is a greatplace for a delicious, nutritious and af-fordable lunch or dinner.

Start your meal off right withGreek City Café’s warm, fresh pitabread and flavorful hummus. Or theSpinach Feta dip – enticing spinach dipwith a Greek twist, served hot – is an-other great option. Greek City Caféalso has scrumptious soups like spinachfeta, lentil, and avgolemeno soup, aniconic Greek soup of lemon and egg,chock full of chicken and orzo.

Greek City Café has some fabu-lous salads, all of which can be orderedas a regular size for a meal or small as aside. One of my favorites is the straw-berry walnut salad featuring fresh fieldgreens topped with juicy strawberries,walnuts, dried cranberries, and fetacheese completed with a delectable

homemade raspberry vinaigrette. An-other Greek City favorite is their leg-endary Greek salad served with potatosalad and topped with their famousGreek dressing. They also have an ex-quisite salad with balsamic glazedsalmon served over a fresh mix ofspinach and field greens, kalamataolives, diced cucumbers, onions, andwalnuts, topped with homemadepoppy seed vinaigrette. You can addchicken, falafel, gyro meat, or salmonto any of the salads at Greek City Caféand their friendly staff and expertcooks are willing to create the meal of

your dreams. Coming from a family of Greek

cooks, Nicholas knows his way aroundthe kitchen and he’s created someunique and delicious platters, wraps,and specialties at Greek City Café. Youhave to try the feta fries – arguablysome of the most delicious fries inWestchase. I had the fountain of youthplatter – hummus with pita and home-made falafel with Greek dressing andfeta along with half a piece of spaniko-pita. Everything on my plate was deli-cious. The sauces that came with thefood were perfectly seasoned. The

spanikopita is delightful, with just theright combination of spinach, feta, andseasonings in a crispy, flaky crust.

The gyro pita is another fabulousoption! This very tasty and flavorfulpita made with shaved rotisserie lamband beef, diced tomatoes, onions andfresh, crispy romaine lettuce with atangy tzatziki sauce is really yummy!Greek City Café also offers chicken orpork versions of the gyro pita – thechicken souvlaki and the pork souvlaki.Both are filled with scrumptious meat,feta cheese, diced tomatoes and onions,romaine lettuce and tzatziki sauce.

Greek City Café – Authentic, Delicious Greek Cuisine!

Greek City Cafe has some fabulous options on their menu and their friendly staff and expertcooks will work with you to create the perfect meal!

MARCH 2014 11For Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.comWestchase Area Neighborhood News

with Parmesan and mozzarella as wellas artichokes, tomatoes, and spinachserved over a soft pita shell, is anothertreat for your taste buds.

The rice bowls at Greek City Caféare very satisfying and make a greatmeal. Try the old school rice bowlwith grilled chicken breast mixed withonions, peppers, feta cheese, andbrown rice tossed in marinara sauce,or the braised lamb shank with slowroasted lamb, topped with feta cheeseand homemade demiglaze.

No matter what you try at GreekCity Café, from the dolmades to the

falafel, pitas to salads, make sure yousave room for one of their mouth-wa-tering homemade desserts. You can al-ways find some freshly made baklava atGreek City Café or you can also treatyourself to one of their wonderfulcakes or pies like the baklava cheese-cake or the Reese’s peanut butter pie.

Next time you’re planning a party,call Greek City Café. Not only will theycater your event for you, you can evenhave it on their great patio that can ac-commodate parties of 50 or more. Or,if you’re going to a party, pick up oneof their fabulous platters to take withyou – you are sure to be invited back!Greek City Café is happy to help ac-commodate any catering requests.

So, if you are looking for fresh,delicious, authentic Greek cuisine lookno further than our very ownWestchase favorite – Greek City Café!

Greek City Café is located inthe West Park Village Town Centerat 9648 W. Linebaugh Avenue.They are open Sunday throughThursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. andFriday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10p.m. For more info visit their web-site at www.GreekCityCafe.com ortheir Facebook page. Give them acall at (813) 501-6996 to talk tothem about catering options or toplace a to-go order.

Greek City Café also has wraps,like the chicken feta wrap or steak citywrap – made with Philly steak, greenpeppers, and onions tossed in soysauce, mixed with herbed mozzarella,provolone, and cheddar cheese and aside of homemade aioli sauce. Or trytheir Greek salad wrap – their famousGreek salad wrapped up to perfection.

If you’re in the mood for aburger, Greek City Café has somegreat options to choose from, liketheir delicious feta burger – blackangus beef served with feta cheese andtopped with Greek City Café’s very

own yummy homemade Greek dress-ing. They also have several Paninis tochoose from, like the turkey pitaPanini or the Portobello Panini forveggie lovers, a fresh Portobellomushroom simmered with balsamicglaze, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato,and sweet basil.

Another Greek City Café specialtyis their pizza niko, which boasts mari-nated chicken breast, diced tomatoes,fresh spinach, and mixed cheese spreadon top of a basil pesto sauce and driz-zled with a balsamic vinaigrette. Delish!Or the Mediterranean pizza, loaded

Located in the West Park Village Town Center, Greek City Cafe features some of the freshest, tastiest Greek food in town.


Paws, a cause, friends, food, andtail-wagging fun will be the order of theday on Saturday, March 22, from 8:30a.m. to noon at Cotanchobee FortBrook Park in Tampa, located right be-hind the Tampa Bay Times Forumalong the scenic Riverwalk. Bring yourfamily and friends (including well-be-haved, four-legged ones) out for a littleexercise and a lot of fun, and support agreat cause – the Southeastern GuideDogs’ Walkathon. This free, dog-friendly event will be fun for everyone!

Event festivities will begin at 8:30a.m., with the Opening Ceremony at9:45 a.m. The 3K Walkathon Kick-Offis at 10 a.m. Guests will enjoy a worldof flavors from an eclectic mix of localfood vendors, plus pet-friendly shop-ping, a silent auction, live music, a raffle,and the chance to support the life-changing puppies and people at South-eastern Guide Dogs. This Palmettobased not-for-profit organization raisesand trains world-class guide dogs for thevisually impaired, and relies 100% onprivate donations. The annualWalkathon season is Southeastern GuideDogs’ biggest fundraiser of the year.

Put Together a Team! It is not too late to sign up to

fundraise. It’s easy and you can evencreate your own team at www.guide-dogswalkathon.org. It isn’t requiredto sign up for fundraising to participatein the free Walkathon, but you are cer-tainly welcome to and there are somegreat incentives! Individual partici-pants who raise $100 will receive aWalkathon t-shirt, raise $250 for aWalkathon Tervis® Tumbler, and ifyou want to be a Top Dog, raise$1,000 for a Walkathon Top DogFundraiser t-shirt. Team members (ofthe same team) can combine theirfundraising totals to reach the $3,500goal and Southeastern Guide DogsPuppy Naming Sponsorship – yes, youcan name a pup!

Team fundraising is a great way topull together friends, family, or co-workers and challenge them help reacha team goal. A little friendly competi-tion can make fundraising fun, so becreative in recruiting team membersand challenging other teams.

Another easy way to fundraise forWalkathon is to sell raffle tickets for thedrawing that will be held at the Sara-

sota Walkathon.Prizes include$10,000 cash, atravel certificatevalued at $3,500,and two roundtrip tickets fromJetBlue airlinesvalued at $1,000.Tickets are avail-able in advanceand at all fiveWalkathons, withthe drawing beingheld on March29th at 11:30 am.

SoutheasternGuide Dogs is one of ten accreditedguide dog schools in the US and theonly one in the southeast. “Theamount of support we get from thecommunity and our extended South-eastern family is astounding. It iswhat allows us to continue to provideall our services for free,” said TitusHerman, CEO.

“We have puppy raising groups andsupporters all over the Tampa Bay area,so it made perfect sense to expandWalkathon into Tampa and allow all the

residents to feel a part of our mission,”stated Herman. This year will also seeWalkathons held in Bradenton, St. Pe-tersburg, The Villages, and Sarasota.

Bring a friend, a dog, a family, asmile, or all of these to join the fun atTampa’s Southeastern Guide DogsWalkathon on March 22. Sign up forthe Walkathon and find more informa-tion at www.guidedogswalkathon.org.Find more information about South-eastern Guide Dogs at www.guide-dogs.org or by calling 941-729-5665.

Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Walkathon Comes to Tampa


teer run and operates solely on supportfrom people in the community throughmonetary donations, volunteering,sponsorship of horses, and donation ofservices. Equestrian Inc.’s grain andhay expenses exceed $5,000 permonth. “As a 501 C3 charitable organ-ization, in order for us to continue ourwork and succeed at helping horses it isimportant for people to help out in anyway they can,” says Glenda. The organ-ization also provides community serv-ice opportunities for high school

students. Donations can be madethrough Paypal on their website atwww.EquestrianInc.org, or by checksmade payable to Equestrian Inc.

Advanced Equine Dentistry& Vet Services Inc.

Providing full-service mobile den-tal care for horses, Advanced EquineDentistry & Vet Services Inc. is an ex-traordinary company that out of thekindness of their hearts, donates theirservices to Equestrian Inc. Horse Res-cue, and on my previous visit I had theopportunity to witness a much-neededtooth extraction on a beautiful horsenamed “Which Way Do I Go”. Oper-ated by Dr. Richard Grist, C.EQ.D.and Dr. Jay Clifford DVM, for the past7 years Advanced Equine Dental hasbeen providing the ultimate equinedentistry experience throughoutFlorida and Georgia. “It is because ofpeople like Rich and Jay that we areable to do what we do for horses,” saysGlenda. Advanced Equine Dentistry is100% mobile and the doctors operate

By Alexis Selby

Nestled just off Gunn Highwayamongst 15 acres of wooded farmlandand beautiful green fields lies a secretoasis and safe haven for some of life’smost magnificent creatures – horses.Dedicated to providing a rehabilitativesanctuary for abandoned, abused, un-wanted or slaughter-bound horses,Equestrian Inc. Horse Rescue, anamazing non-for-profit organization,has been rescuing, rehabilitating andre-homing horses for the past 35 years.“Our mission is to bring people wholove horses together with the horses welove,” says Glenda Smith the founderof Equestrian Inc. Horse Rescue ofTampa Bay.

Since starting Equestrian Inc.Horse Rescue, Glenda has made it hermission to stand up for neglected andabused horses, giving them a produc-tive second chance at life and the op-portunity to experience the true love ofa caring family. “I came out of thewomb loving horses and started ridingat 5 years old,” says Glenda. “I boughtmy first farm in Land O’ Lakes in 1978and bought a couple Arabian horses – Ilove the breed. I later found out abouthow overly bred their breed was andhow so many people were just aban-doning them and turning them loose inthe state forest. I never bought anotherhorse again; instead I started Eques-trian Inc. Horse Rescue as a way to savethese abandoned horses and provide aloving rehabilitative home. Wordquickly got out about how much Iloved the breed and that I was willingto help horses in need.” Glenda runs

Equestrian Inc. alongside her daughter,DeeAnn Smith and stable manager An-thio Marcos. Equestrian Inc.’s hands-on board of directors and dedicatedvolunteers make up the rest of theteam. “Everyone has such a passion forthe horses and it is obvious how muchthey love them by the way they forthem,” adds Glenda.

In recent years, Equestrian Inc.Horse Rescue has transitioned to help-ing more and more off the track Thor-oughbred horses, whom if not forEquestrian Inc. would otherwise bedestined for uncertain futures. ThroughBob Jeffries, head of the HBPA atTampa Bay Downs, trainers frequentlycontact Equestrian Inc. to give theirformer racehorses the opportunity of asecond career rather than turning themover to individuals who do not havetheir best interest at heart. Unfortu-nately, horse slaughter is a major con-cern in this area and throughout theUnited States.

Glenda also reaches out to thecommunity and encourages horse own-ers to call her if they are longer able toprovide proper care for their horses,whether it be because of monetaryproblems, health-related issues, or anyother reason. Her organization workswith the Sheriff’s Office and tries tohelp people who can no longer affordto feed their horses. In addition,Equestrian Inc. works in conjunctionwith other horse rescues in the area,and if they are unable to take yourhorse they will help you find a placethat will.

Founded upon Glenda’s love ofhorses, Equestrian Inc. is 100% volun-

Equestrian Inc. Horse Rescue of Tampa Bay –Bringing People Who Love Horses Together With The Horses They Love

Glenda Smith, founder of Equestrian Inc. Horse Rescue of Tampa Bay,makes it her mission to stand up for abused and neglected horses.


out of a completely self-contained 28'custom built, air-conditioned, equinedental aluminum trailer that containseverything necessary to treat all kindsof dental procedures, including surgery.The doctors have also designed andmanufactured many of their own toolsand equipment that they use for theirequine dentistry services. As their busi-ness continues to grow, the doctorshope to have at least 10 more unitsthroughout Florida within the nextyear, as to better serve horses in need.For more information about AdvancedEquine Dentistry & Vet Services Inc.please visit their website at www.Ad-vancedEquineDentist.com or call (727)484-4473.

How to Adopt a HorseAt Equestrian Inc. Horse Rescue

they DO NOT sell horses, but insteadfacilitate the rescue, rehabilitation, re-training and re-homing of those ani-mals in their care. They do have somepermanent residents, but their mainfocus is to adopt out as many animalsas possible to loving, forever, informedhomes. If you are interested in adopt-ing a horse, they have a wonderful se-lection of horses to choose from – fromyoung to old, Arabians to Thorough-breds, companion horses to trail horses;they even have a donkey! Glenda says,“We depend a lot on people in thecommunity to get the word out aboutwhere we are and what we do. If some-one is interested in adopting a horse,

we believe in full disclosure – we willtell them everything we know aboutthe horse.” Equestrian Inc. is very par-ticular and careful about whom theyadopt horses out to and they do a greatjob of matching horses with a suitableowner based upon their personalitiesand what they are looking for in ahorse. Because of this, Glenda is veryproud to announce that they haveNEVER had a horse returned by anadopting owner!

Glenda is adamant about givingback to her community and does a lotof work with underprivileged chil-dren, as well as handicapped children.Throughout the year she also takes afew of her horses and ponies toschools in Tampa Bay and allows thechildren to groom them. She alsospends a lot of time educating youthsabout these magnificent creatures,and teaches them how to properlycare for a horse. Equestrian Inc. isavailable for field trips. “The futureof these animals lies in the hands ofchildren,” says Glenda. “It is very im-portant to educate our youths on howto treat horses properly so they cancontinue the cycle.”

Dynamite LessonsEquestrian Inc. offers a great les-

son program, including private andgroup lessons. Fun and educational,each class includes grooming, saddling,horse riding lessons and the care re-quired after riding.

Summer CampStarting in June, Equestrian Inc.

will also have an exciting 4-week sum-mer camp, which will be five days aweek from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. This awe-some camp will teach all aspects ofhorse care, including general horsecare, education on the anatomy ofhorses, witnessing visits by the veteri-narian and equine dentist, as well asnumerous opportunities to ride thehorses. All experience levels are wel-come; whether you are an advancedrider or new to horse care, these campsprove to be fun for all.

Trail RidesA new concept to Equestrian Inc.,

this wonderful horse rescue will now beoffering trail rides to the public. ForValentines Day my husband and I gotto experience these trail rides first-handand we had a blast. Riding Thorough-bred-racing horses, we took a ridearound the property, basking in thebeautiful nature. I was so excited – Ihave ridden horses before, but the fact

that I was riding on a retired racehorse,was awesome – where else are yougoing to get the opportunity to ride onthis type of horse? My mother and sisteraccompanied us on the trail ride andthey really enjoyed it as well. The staffat Equestrian Inc. was really informa-tive and Anthio gave us all lessons andtips before we got on the horse tomake us feel comfortable and relaxedwhile riding. Overall it was a great ex-perience! The trail rides are a $20 perperson donation and reservations arerequired so contact Equestrian Inc.today to schedule your next ride!

Equestrian Inc. Horse Rescue ofTampa Bay is located at 4902 Tim-berlan St. in Tampa. For more infor-mation or to make a donation, visitwww.EquestrianInc.org or call (813)407- 6805. Please make all donationchecks payable to Equestrian Inc.Donations can also be made throughPaypal on their website. Like themon Facebook to keep up to date withwhat they do for the community andfor the horses they rescue.

When visiting Equestrian Inc. it is not uncommon to come accrosssleeping goats and other cute animals!

For Valentines Day my husband and I (top) rode horses with my mother(left) and sister (right) and had a really great experience! Taking us for a

lovely tour around the property, the staff was really accomodating and nice!


to offer in our classes,” explains Mary.“I feel very fortunate that we havesome really fantastic artists workinghand-in-hand with us. Every artist wework with joins in on our mission toprovide wonderful, creative pieces ofart. This is a team effort, we give theartists ideas, they give us ideas andthen we bring it to class to share withthe community!”

Inspired by Creativity“I have always been a creative

soul,” says Mary. “My degree is in the-ater, but during most of my career, Iworked in business as a project man-ager for companies. I knew that even-tually I would find my way back to thearts. I had been looking for an oppor-tunity to explore my creative side. I’dalways wanted an art gallery; so whenHannah and I sat down with my hus-band Mark, we came up with SimplyArt Studios, a place where people cansimply create!”

Simply Art Studios is both agallery and a classroom. Hannah has adegree in art history and her passionlies in helping people create beautifulmemories for themselves. She is the op-

erations manager at Simply Art Studios,as well as the jewelry design leader.Hannah says, “I love when people leaveand absolutely love the painting or jew-elry they have made. It is so refreshingto spend a night creating with a groupof people that you help inspire.”

Hannah explains that even thougheveryone is following the same guide-lines, each person has a different style orbrush stroke, so no two paintings areever the same. “It is uniquely yours,”says Hannah. “Whether you are experi-enced in the craft or a beginner, we ac-commodate everyone. No one gets leftbehind and people with experiencearen’t bored because we keep it fun andfresh! There is no intimidation here, justfun and simple art!”

Artistic Spirits Soarat Simply Art

“What I’ve noticed is that a lot ofadults have not allowed themselves tobe creative since they were veryyoung,” says Mary. “We want to givepeople the permission and atmospherewhere they can follow simple easy stepsto end up with a wonderful creation.This is a very therapeutic and fun envi-ronment for everyone. We strive togive people permission to explore theircreativity again!”

Simply Art Studios truly focuses

on opening thedoors up for you tocome in and allowyour creative spirit achance to break freeand mix art and en-tertainment. Youcan bring yourfriends, family,coworkers or comefor an evening tomeet new friends.Classes at SimplyArt Studios are rec-ommended forguests 17 and up,but family classesalso are offered forpeople looking to get creative withtheir kids. Family classes include paint-ing, paper Mache, origami and pop-upbook creations! The whole family canenjoy getting messy together!

Painting, floral arrangement andjewelry classes usually last about two tothree hours and guests are encouragedto bring beverages, snacks and a cre-ative, open state of mind. Everythingelse is provided for you!

Simply Art Studios painting classesare instructed by local artists who helpyou create your own personal master-piece. Artists guide you through eachbrushstroke, using a model painting,

acrylic paint and a 16x20-inch or18x18-inch canvas.

Jewelry classes offer many differ-ent jewelry designs to choose fromsuch as basic wiring to beaded jewelrydesigns! Learn to create handmade,tastefully crafted jewelry that is art towear! Custom make the perfect fit foryou or make it a personalized gift cre-ated with love!

Fresh floral arrangement classes in-volve learning about the basic tech-niques in floral arranging, as well astechniques for keeping your flowerslooking and smelling fresh for extendedperiods of time.

“Simply Art”Continued from page 1

Wear your own jewelry designs! Learn how to make lovelywearable art during step-by-step instruction.


Have a Simply Art Party!Simply Art Studios makes for the

perfect night out! It is even a greatplace for birthdays, bridal showers orbachelorette get-togethers. A party atSimply Art Studios provides a way forpeople to share a memory with theirparty guests and allow them to bringsomething special home!

Simply Art Studio classes are agreat team-building idea for corporateevents and parties! There is even some-thing for the DIY bride, who wants tolearn to make their own bouquets withbridesmaids or flower arrangements fortable settings.

Date night? Why not? Taking apainting class on a date is a fun way toget to know someone or share a funexperience with someone you alreadylove and cherish.

Simply Art Studios truly has some-thing for everyone and if you have aspecial idea, the team is more than will-ing to accommodate you in any waythey can. Some guests prefer to workone-on-one with an artist to come upwith a painting idea or a special piece ofjewelry. Simply Art Studios offers you achance to collaborate with and com-mission the work you want to createfrom a local and talented artist!

Private parties last a few hours andcan be booked Monday through Fri-day, between the hours of 1 p.m. and10 p.m., or between 10 a.m. and 10p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Register Now: Check out Sim-ply Art Studios’ Events Calendar at

www.SimplyArtStudios.com to seeupcoming classes and register for aclass today!”

Simply Art Studios is a fantasticplace to explore your artistic talentsand create special memories year-round for all types of occasions, andeven for no reason at all other than tocreate personal joy!

Simply Art Studios is locatedin Oldsmar at 4022 Tampa Road,Suite #5. Office hours are Tues. –Fri., 12 – 5 p.m. Please visitwww.simplyartstudios.com forclass times, upcoming art explo-rations and special events! Call(813) 749-7111 or [email protected] formore information. Also make sureto “like” Simply Art Studios onfacebook so you can receive up-dates in your newsfeed about up-and-coming classes!

Group classes are a fun and creative bonding experience for friends and coworkers, and also offer a great opportunityto meet new friends. Individuality shines through in every class and everyone leaves with art that is uniquely theirs.


him to look at the Tampaarea. “When I startedlooking at the Tampaarea, I was amazed at howmany people I alreadyknew here because of mywork with the U.S. mili-tary. Many of which I haddone business in the pastback in Germany. I reallyenjoy Tampa Bay and especially theWestchase area where I reside.”

“Having worked with Warrenand seeing how he interacts with hisclients I can honestly say I wouldhighly recommend him,” says ScottPendleton. “He is hard working, or-ganized, and in tune with the client’sneeds. If you are looking for a Realtorthat has your best interest in mindWarren is your guy.”

One testament of how Warren’shard work and positive, fun attitude is

paying off for his clients is the fact thatmuch of his business comes from re-ferrals. He says, “My grandmother al-ways told me ‘without a laugh, youhave nothing.’ I want to make the realestate business fun and stress free formy clients. It is a serious business butit should also be an enjoyable time. “Iliaise with lenders, contractors, and in-spectors from the beginning of theprocess to make sure everything goessmoothly and that there aren’t anysurprises. I also take the time to reallylisten to my clients so we don’t waste

perception that buying or selling ahome is difficult, but it doesn’t have tobe that way. I am always honest withmy clients and make sure they knowwhat to expect every step of the way. Itake the time to really listen to myclients so I know what their wants andneeds are, and using my expertise andknowledge of the market I can helpthem find the perfect new home orsell their existing home.”

Client Dixie Carlotti says, “Myhusband and I worked with Warrenwhen we decided to purchase a home.Being in the property management in-dustry, I have worked with many realestate agents but our experience withWarren was definitely above average.He had great knowledge of the mar-ket and was always prompt and help-ful. I could not recommend Warrenhighly enough!”

While growing up in Ireland, War-ren developed his strong work ethicand values from his parents and grand-parents who instilled in him the impor-tance of being respectful, courteous,professional, and organized. After grad-uating from Dublin Institute of Tech-

nology, he moved to Germany and es-tablished a very successful business.Warren sasy, “I worked in the U.S. au-tomotive industry distributing new au-tomobiles to the U.S. military andNATO troops stationed worldwide for19 years. I mentored many new busi-ness owners in the industry and thrivedon seeing them become successful. I al-ways told my employees to be sure tolook after the customer first, last, andalways. This advice has also served mewell in my real estate business.”

Warren’s father a building devel-oper from Dublin Ireland gave himsome simple advice before he passedaway 10 years ago, “He who dares,wins and, no risk, no reward.” Afterhis successful career in Germany War-ren realized he needed a new chal-lenge in his life. A friend from Dublinalso in the Tampa Real Estate industry(Sean O’Cuinneagain) encouraged

“Warren Ring”Continued from page 1


valuable time looking at houses thataren’t a good fit for them.”

Warren is a full time realtor and isavailable to his clients whenever theyneed him. He is also partnered withRE/MAX realtor Adriana Mejia in theWestchase area, who has been workingin the industry for many years. BothWarren and Adriana are committed totheir clients. They take the time to lis-ten to your wants and needs and thenwork hard for you to make sure youget what you want.

“I had the pleasure of working

with Warren in his capacity as a busi-ness consultant to a client of mine,”says Noel Davidson. “My client was re-locating from Barcelona to Florida andWarren was a key advisor on theground in Florida during the transition.Warren is not only a multi-skilled andinnovative Business Consultant but alsoan inspiring motivator to my clientwhen he was having second thoughts.Warren is an intelligent, organized,dedicated and independent person withtremendous focus to detail with hugeknowledge. He was a tremendous assetat the time and I have no doubt thatmy clients move would not have hap-pened without him.”

Warren specializes in Westchaseand the surrounding areas. When hefirst moved to Tampa, he spent 6months learning all the different areasof Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg. Hehas also established an investmentportfolio for several foreign investors,set up a management company andhas now ventured into new construc-tion in the South Tampa area. “I be-lieve, to be professional in anyindustry you must master all aspects ofthe industry,” says Warren.

If you’re thinking of buying orselling a home anytime, make sure youhave someone you can trust to work

very hard for you and who can alsobring some Irish luck to your side. “Ihave been a lucky person,” says War-ren. “But I also believe the harder youwork, the luckier you are.”

Warren Ring’s office is located inthe Westchase Commons at 13033

W. Linebaugh Avenue. For more in-formation about Warren andRE/MAX Action First, visitwww.WarrenRing.RemaxAgent.com.To talk to Warren about buying orselling a home, email him at [email protected] orgive him a call at (813) 220-2401.

Warren is partnered with RE/MAXrealtor Adriana Mejia.


Celebrate Life. PleaseJoin Us at Relay!

Anyone who has ever battled canceris invited to celebrate life and hope byjoining the Relay For Life survivor cere-mony. The Survivors Lap symbolizes thecourage survivors and their families dis-play everyday. Take this opportunity tohave your community support you andin turn support others who are facingthis disease. We look forward to seeingyou at Relay. Your strength helps bringhope that we are making progress every-day. Please contact your local AmericanCancer Society and be sure to inviteother survivors you know to join us.

Get Involved—We Need You!Relay is an exciting community

event. Join our fight against cancertoday! To form a team or for corpo-rate sponsorship opportunities,please e-mail [email protected] call (813) 319-5916. If you areinterested in registering as a Survivoror Caregiver or would like to volun-teer your time and talent please emailJordyn at the same contact info listedabove or visit their website atwww.relayforlife.org/westchasefl.

What is Relay For Life?Relay For Life is the American

Cancer Society’s signature activity. Itoffers everyone in a community an op-portunity to participate in the fightagainst cancer. Teams of people campout at a local high school, park, or fair-ground and take turns walking or run-ning around a track or path. Each teamis asked to have a representative on thetrack at all times during the event. Re-lays are an overnight event. Teams of

people from all walks of life have funwhile raising much-needed funds tofight cancer and raise awareness of can-cer prevention and treatment. No mat-ter who you are, there’s a place for youat Relay.

Why We Relay?Relay For Life is more than just a

fundraiser. It’s a life-changing experi-ence. At Relay, every person in thecommunity has a chance to celebrate,remember, and fight back. And everyperson who participates joins othersaround the globe as part of this world-wide movement to end cancer. Every-

one's reason to Relay is asunique as their own per-sonal story. At Relay, youcan find healing, comfort,and support from otherswho have faced cancer orwho have lost a loved oneto the disease. You have achance to meet people inthe community who areequally as passionate aboutfinding an end to cancer inour lifetime. You can thankall the people who havedone so much to supportyou through your personalcancer experience.

“Relay”Continued from page 3

westchase - vol. 3, issue 3, march 2014

Documents

art isan

fun forthe local community

art studiosin oldsmar

community news briefs

work of local artists

community calendar

opened simply art studios

clients best